Debunking the Top Ten PBIS Myths

PBIS has a proven record for improving school climate at schools across the country. Still, introducing PBIS to a school can produce a fair share of resistance. Educators may fear that PBIS will leave them with no effective means of behavior management. Administrators may be reluctant to upend the traditional system of discipline. You may even get some pushback from the students themselves because PBIS may be different from their known experience with school interactions. There are plenty of PBIS myths out there that keep schools from implementing PBIS. We’re here to tell you not to let those faux barriers get in your way. Let’s take a look at the top ten PBIS myths.

Top Ten PBIS Myths

Myth #1:
PBIS rewards students for what they are supposed to be doing.

The fact is, many students aren’t coming to school with the foundational skills they need in order to be successful. Numerous reasons for this exist, including disadvantaged backgrounds, cultural differences, and developmental issues. For many, school is where they develop appropriate social and emotional skills. PBIS helps to establish behaviors that students will carry with them throughout their lives.

Myth #2:
The “Positive” in PBIS just means handing out treats and other goodies whenever kids behave.

While on the surface it might seem to focus exclusively on rewards, the “Positive” in PBIS actually refers to the intentional building of a productive and progressive school climate. Rewards are currency in establishing a positive environment in which all students can flourish. At its core, a successful school-wide implementation of PBIS curates positive teacher-student relationships.

It’s been established that punitive measures rarely produce positive outcomes. In fact, zero-tolerance policies often produce the opposite effect from their initial intention. Some educators see PBIS as an ineffective program designed to be soft on misbehavior. However, a comprehensive, three-tier system of implementation can keep minor infractions from becoming bigger problems. Discipline definitely has its place in PBIS, and is applied very precisely in relation to infractions.

Myth #4:
PBIS doesn’t work in {insert school level here}

PBIS can and does work in ALL school levels – preschool, elementary, middle, and high school! In fact, PBIS can be found in more than 25% of schools across America. Incentives and rewards might be different depending on the school level, but student response to recognition of positive behavior is universal.

Myth #5:
Rewards are just bribery.

A bribe is a reward offered in exchange for an illegal action. The rewards used in PBIS are positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior in the school setting. Students who do not behave appropriately are not awarded points.

Myth #6:
Once you stop rewarding a specific behavior, students stop doing that particular behavior.

Consistency is key in PBIS. Establishing a behavior matrix at the very beginning allows you to focus on and reward for specific behaviors over the course of the school year. As a result, your students carry the behaviors established and encouraged by PBIS into the larger community.

Myth #7:
PBIS is just a “program” that we’ll try for a while and then move on to something else.

It’s likely that your veteran teachers have seen numerous behavioral programs come and go. They’ll have the same expectations of PBIS. PBIS is often referred to as a “program” or “system” because those terms are easy to understand. But PBIS isn’t a “program” – it’s a framework built on behavioral philosophies and processes designed to improve school climate.

Myth #8:
PBIS will add more responsibilities to my daily schedule.

Your staff may fear that monitoring behavior and awarding points will take away from instructional time. But within a PBIS framework, behaviors that merit points are established at the outset. It becomes simple to award points throughout the day, particularly if you are using PBIS Rewards. Escalation into discipline takes a longer path. With less time spent on discipline and referrals, your teachers will have more time to teach.

Myth #9:
There is only one way to implement PBIS.

The central tenet of any PBIS framework is an emphasis on positive behavior. What that framework looks like varies by school. In fact, each school must develop its own behavior matrix and determine the appropriate responses to misbehaviors. Rubber stamping PBIS across several schools doesn’t address the unique challenges each school faces.

Myth #10:
Setting up a store for rewards is expensive and time-consuming.

There are many ways to set up and stock a school store. Not all rewards need to be tangible – something as simple as being line leader for the day costs the school nothing and can be a huge boost to student motivation. There are plenty of incentives that are free or low cost, and often local businesses partner with a school to reward kids for good behavior. Redeeming points for rewards can be simple, too, especially if you automate your rewards program with PBIS Rewards.

Ready to Implement PBIS in Your School?

The PBIS myths we’ve addressed above are some of the most common objections to implementing PBIS in a school. But PBIS is a powerful tool to improve school climate, as thousands of schools across the nation have discovered.

Whether you want to implement PBIS in your school or take your PBIS framework to the next level, PBIS Rewards can make it easier. Want to know more? Request a demo to see how PBIS Rewards makes PBIS in schools easy and fun for everyone!